Should I replace or re-key the lock on my door?

Should I replace or re-key the lock on my door?

Off the top of my head, if your lock has one of these words written on it, REPLACE!

• Brinks
• EZset
• Defiant
• Kwikset
• Morning Industry
• Mountain Security
• ...and sometimes Master Lock and Schlage, too

I have seen Guy literally rip locks of this caliber in two without even grunting. Yes, he is unusually strong, but still, The Key Guy recommends replacing these locks if they are on a Front Door, Back Door, or other entry door if you don't want the baddies breaking them too easily. Is your security really worth the extra $40? As most of us have probably learned by this point in our lives, you get what you pay for.

Buying a lock is not like buying a cute dress for Friday night. You do not wear it once and forget about it in the back of your closet. A lock should be more like that great little black dress that you keep pulling out again and again for work, cocktails, dinner, and that piano recital. It has to perform! It has to keep working like it's new even when you've used it 40 times. It definitely can't fall apart when a man starts violently pulling at it. (See? a lock is just like a little black dress!)

So you know when to REPLACE. When do you REKEY? Well, in most instances you want to re-key because:

• it's greener (nothing to throw away)
• it's cleaner (less lock parts all over the place)
• it's cheaper (using what you already have vs buying a brand new hunk of metal)

Key Guy Buying Tip: Locks from Walmart, Kmart, and Home Depot are cheap. This does not mean they are good.